Big cats are said to be prowling the countryside on the back of several sightings in Oxfordshire over the years.

The latest 'panther' DNA evidence suggests that wild big cats are stalking the British countryside with several mysterious animals recently spotted.

A new potential sighting occurred in Mamble between Kidderminster and Tenbury earlier this month and there is also DNA evidence of the predator from both Cumbria and Gloucestershire.

Oxfordshire is no stranger to such sightings either with several named fabled big cats including the Beast of Otmoor.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire nuke hotspot to avoid if nuclear war breaks out

Big cats have been sighted in Oxfordshire in recent years (file photo).Big cats have been sighted in Oxfordshire in recent years (file photo). (Image: Pexels)

A man was driving to work from Horton-cum-Studley towards Lower Arncott near Bicester back in 2023 when he spotted a 'black panther' pouncing on a pheasant.

Dark Oxfordshire, a group which tracks the locations of sightings over the last 30 years, said there have been a number of alleged sightings of 'big cats' in the region of Otmoor.

Back in 2017 when a woman claimed to have seen the creature crossing a road in broad daylight in Upper Arncott.

The fabled Beast of Burford was also allegedly sighted by a cyclist in 2021 who described the animal as moving like a predator, about the size of a Labrador and jet black.

READ MORE: Big spiders enter UK homes as tarantulas seen

It was said to have faced her then ducked down and she cycled around the back of it on the grass before it silently skulked away, hiding in the bushes. 

Melanistic leopards, also known as black panthers, have relatively short limbs compared to other big cats and a broad head.

The Oxford Mail has approached Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust for comment.

Help support trusted local news

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber, you will get:   

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website        
  • Advert-light access             
  • Reader rewards             
  • Full access to our app